The Life of A Victor || Finnick Odair

CHAPTER 35

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Dove stared outside her window, singing the first chords that came to her mind. The Mockingjays, who replied to her song, were still around Victor's Village even weeks after her Victor's Tour. In three days, it would be her foundday, which she didn't want to celebrate because both Finnick and Ron would be in the Capitol.

Although she didn't feel like it, her mother was determined to do it. Librae always repeated "The best cure for dark times is celebrations and joy," which Dove's foundday would bring to everyone, except Finnick and Ron, who wouldn't be there when they probably needed it the most.

The faint chirp of a bird got her attention from the Mockingjays to the birdhouse, which was back to its rightful place outside her window. A small house finch appeared next to her, chirping happily as it danced around the room.

Looking back inside, Dove's eyes followed the bird, who continued to dance until the sound of footsteps startled it and went back to the birdhouse. The door to her room opened steadily, with almost inaudible hushes coming from the other side. Her family was there to surprise her, which they didn't get to do since she was already awake.

"You're three days early," Dove spoke up with a grin as her mother entered the room, who was being followed by the rest of the wake-up call team. She stared as her siblings let out shrieks, which caused her to giggle.

"We thought it would be better to do it now than when you're all worried about Finnick," Melo spoke up with a knowing smirk while entering the room, closely followed by Angel.

"Cool, I'm fifteen years old three days earlier," Dove commented with a grin. "No, you're not. Still fourteen," Angel stated as she walked to her little sister, getting an annoyed look from her.

"Come on, it's just three days. Let me be fifteen already!" Dove retorted, irritated, which caused her older siblings to snicker.

"Let's go down. We've got a surprise for you," her mother announced cheerfully, which amazed everyone. Dove noticed her mother's change of attitude since her Games. Librae got brighter by the day. It probably has to do with her 'discrete' visits to Ron. she thought, following her family to the kitchen.

"Surprise!" The rest of the Victors chanted as the family entered the room. Dove looked around, stunned. There were decorations everywhere, apart from a massive cake in the middle of the kitchen table.

"Since Finnick is leaving tomorrow and Ron will leave in two days, we thought we could move the celebration three days earlier, so they could join," her mother spoke up, causing Dove to raise her eyebrows playfully.

"So, I guess Melo baked the cake," Dove supposed, walking to the cake to admire it better. Her brother had done an outstanding job. It wasn't his first time baking a cake, but they were usually tiny, and not as extravagant as that one was.

"Well, I had a bit of help," Melo said, pointing over to Finnick and Mags. While the elderly woman smiled kindly, his friend only shook his head in denial.

"I just did what he and Mags told me to do," Finnick commented with a nervous laugh. "The cake is mostly Mags doing, to be fair," he added, grabbing a hold of Mags' hand, who stood at his right.

"OK, less talk, more eating. Who wants cake?" Ron interjected, plates in his hand as he sat next to Librae. "Me!" all the teenagers shouted excitedly, while the rest of the Victors raised their hands in agreement.

After that, the day was filled with chatter from all parties. For the first time in a long while, everyone forgot their roles as they explained interesting stories from their past. The two elderly male Victors, Theo and Rhett, explained some of their funniest newlywed hardships from years ago.